A survey organised by the Norwich & Norfolk branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), and carried out in the city on Saturday, 18th June 2011, found an amazing 215 different real ales available, topping recent claims from other cities to the title of UK Capital of Real Ale, per head of population.
A team of 26 volunteers visited 136 pubs, of which 113 (83%) offered a total of 489 real ales and 24 real ciders and perries. The total of 215 different ales beats the numbers achieved in similar surveys in Derby (161 ales, population 240,000) and Sheffield (240, 500,000 – which is a far larger population than Norwich).
Local ales from 22 of the county’s breweries were on sale with Woodforde’s Wherry taking the accolade of most popular ale, being available in 43 pubs. The Fat Cat had the most ales on the bar with 31, followed by the Whalebone (20), Duke of Wellington (16), Fat Cat Brewery Tap (15) and The Plasterers Arms (14). A dozen pubs visited were serving 7 or more ales.
However, pubs across the city contributed to the total with 56 pubs selling ales not available anywhere else, from the Maids Head in Catton (Flowers, IPA) to the Bread and Cheese, Adelaide Street (Wolf, Lupus Lupus) and from Otter Ale in the Birdcage to St Austell Tribute in the Cock at Lakenham.
The price of a pint of real ale ranged from £1.70 for a pint of Ruddles Best (3.7% ABV) in the Queen of the Iceni to £3.60 for Adnams Tally Ho (7.2% ABV) in the Fat Cat, with the average price still below the £3 mark at £2.95.
Ian Stamp, Norwich CAMRA member and organiser of the survey, said “This is an amazing result – we expected to get over 150 ales but 215 is fantastic and a great tribute to the publicans and real ale drinkers across the whole city who demand and get an excellent range of real ales and ciders”. Surely Norwich is the City of Ale!
Other statistics:
- Total pubs surveyed: 136
- Total serving real ale: 113 (83%)
- Total ales on sale: 498 (plus 24 ciders and perries), 186 from Norfolk Breweries
- Unique ales on sale: 215 (18 ciders and perries - subject to verification)
- Ales on sale in one pub only: 144
- Prices: £1.70 - £3.60, average £2.95 (Norfolk beers £2.92, non-Norfolk beers £2.97)
- Breweries: 98 (22 from Norfolk)
- Average ABV: 4.2%
Most Popular Beers (with publicans!):
43 Woodfordes Wherry
28 Adnams Southwold Bitter
23 Fullers London Pride
16 Greene King IPA
14 Greene King Abbot
13 Wolf Golden Jackal
12 Adnams Broadside
Woodfordes Nelsons Revenge
6 Hop Back Summer Lightning
Sharps Doombar
Wells & Youngs Bombardier
Oakham JHB
Woodfordes Once Bittern
Woodfordes Sundew
Pubs with more than 2 unique ales:
17 Fat Cat
15 Whalebone
7 White Lion
6 Duke of Wellington
Kings Head
Plasterers
5 Bell
Kings Arms
4 Fat Cat Brewery Tap
Plough (out of 4!)
Trafford Arms
3 Coach & Horses, Thorpe Road
Cottage, Silver road
Micawbers
Woolpack
Pubs with most local ales:
13 The Plasterers
12 Fat Cat
10 Kings Head
6 Ketts Tavern
Coach and Horses, Thorpe Road
5 Beehive, Leopold Road
Fat Cat Brewery Tap
Rose, Queens Road
4 Coachmakers
Jubilee
Duke of Wellington
Bell
